Summary:
Last week, the Zoning and Planning (ZAP) Committee advanced the proposed Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) to the full City Council. At yesterday’s City Council meeting, a proposed amendment failed, and a final vote on BERDO was delayed. We urge the City Council to pass the ordinance at their next meeting.
Details:
Thank you to everyone who testified at last week’s ZAP meeting in support of including large residential buildings in BERDO. We also appreciate the ZAP Committee members for their thoughtful consideration of the ordinance.
ZAP members supported an amendment requiring residential buildings over 20,000 square feet to report emissions. However, some councilors raised concerns about Newton-Wellesley Hospital’s (NWH) compliance with the ordinance. The ZAP Committee ultimately voted 5-0-3 to send BERDO to the full City Council, with three abstentions due to unresolved concerns regarding NWH.
Between the ZAP and City Council meetings, the City and NWH reached an agreement, and the proposed terms were presented as an amendment during the City Council meeting. While the Council approved the amendment related to NWH, Councilor Lenny Gentile used a procedural rule to delay the final vote, citing a need for additional time to review the ordinance and address outstanding questions.
Although Councilor Gentile stated that he needs more time, the ordinance has been in the works for years. Three years ago, the Council passing a unanimous resolution to create a BERDO for Newton. After extensive stakeholder outreach, the ordinance drafted has been changed very little over the last year. There was only a question about whether large residential should be included and this issue was debated over numerous ZAP meetings. More recently, NWH objected to its medical facilities being included.
As climate change accelerates, further delay only makes implementation more difficult. Delaying the reporting period will mean a shorter time frame before reductions are scheduled an more work for the City’s administrative over a shorter timeframe
After a discussion of the ordinance, Councilor Bill Humphrey called for a vote to “call the question,” which would have forced an immediate vote on the ordinance. However, the motion failed, and Councilor Gentile proceeded with delaying the vote.
The City Council has one remaining meeting this session to vote on BERDO. Luckily, no councilor is allowed to charter the delay a second time.
Let’s make sure that they collectively make the right decision and pass the ordinance.
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